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A Fairhill church is redemption central for ex-offenders

Kristen E. Holmes

July 07, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A church in Philadelphia is adept at ministering to those coming out of incarceration and drug use because its two pastors come from that very same world. They hold members accountable, which could mean a required stint in rehab before folks can use the various services of the church like housing, food and help with employment. As a result the recidivism rate of members is about five percent, far lower that the state-wide rate.

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Delivering Gourmet Pizza, and Jobs Training, in Cook County Jail

Serena Maria Daniels

July 06, 2017 |

Next City |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Recipe for Change is a program that teaches incarcerated people Italian cuisine skills, which is meant to help them gain employment when they reenter society. An estimated 200 people have gone through the program. Similarly, other programs are focusing on helping formerly incarcerated people gain employment.

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Need Food Stamps? Ask A Librarian

Kristi Eaton

July 06, 2017 |

Bright Magazine |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Libraries have expanded their roles to be community centers where people can connect with social services and other local agencies for needs from homelessness to food insecurity to mental illness. Libraries are one of the few places where people receive access to resources at no charge and are meeting this need by hiring social workers and other specialized staff.

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In Philly courts, whether they'll die in prison comes down to their birthday

Samantha Melamed

July 06, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A 2016 U.S. Supreme Court decision allows those sentenced to life for crimes committed as juveniles to seek parole. These people make up more than half of lifers in Pennsylvania, which is considering numerous appeals, but now those sentenced when they were slightly older are arguing the impulsivity and immaturity that makes juveniles less culpable are also present in the brains of those in their 20s. They are seeking to ensure the same legal rulings also apply to them and the legal system is trying to reconcile legal definitions of adulthood with evolving brain science.

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Reimagining failure: ‘Last-chance' schools are the future of American high schools

Natalie Gross

July 05, 2017 |

The Hechinger Report |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

In the last decade, collaborations between non-profit student-support organizations and public schools have fostered a model called "Last-Chance Schools" with remarkable success. The program targets root causes for dropping out, including economic disadvantages, mental health challenges, violence, and unstable home lives. As several Boston charter schools demonstrate, use of social-emotional learning, conflict mediation instead of zero-tolerance discipline, and flexible curricula has helped boost graduation and college acceptance rates while lowering suspensions.

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What happened when Camden started rethinking policing to build trust

Hari Sreenivasan

June 30, 2017 |

PBS NewsHour |

Broadcast TV Programs |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Camden, New Jersey

Police reform in Camden, New Jersey has centered on de-escalation and increased surveillance. With these reforms, the city has seen a decrease in violent and nonviolent crime and a decrease in the use of and complaints of excessive force by police. While not without concerns of the increased surveillance, the department says the shift of role from warrior to guardian is showing impact.

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Nueces County ditches juvenile boot camp for new approach

Krista M. Torralva

June 23, 2017 |

Corpus Christi Caller Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Nueces County, Texas

In Nueces County, Texas, military-style boot camp was the norm for troubled juveniles, who were forced to complete drills that simulate ROTC with instructors. The newly named Robert N. Barnes Region Juvenile Facility began replacing this antiquated method with therapeutic support and yoga relaxation techniques focus on the psycho-social health of troubled juveniles. The facility serves as a model of what boot camps could become.

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Addicts Need Help. Jails Could Have the Answer.

Sam Quinones

June 16, 2017 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Covington, Kentucky

Kentucky is rethinking its penal system for dealing with drug offenders and has shown success in reducing recidivism and relapse rates. Instead of leaving addicts to languish in the typical jailhouse environment of "extortion, violence and tedium," more than two dozen of the state's county jails have created separate units devoted to full-time addiction treatment and support-services for prisoners that involve peer-policing.

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In Sikkim, football is weaning drug users away from the dark

Sarita Santoshini

June 15, 2017 |

Livemint |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Sikkim, Gangtok

For many youth in India, illegal drugs are readily available, but rehab is socially stigmatized, government resources and information for narcotics are sparse, and there are few options for a user looking to get clean. A group of people in recovery in Sikkim has formed a football team as a means to recover, finding social support and exercise that is proven to aid in sustainable rehabilitation from drug use.

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For children who have faced serious trauma, a place to learn

Henry Gass

June 14, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is home to a high number of teens with severe trauma and emotional disturbance, who are underserved in regular school settings. Alternative programs that focus more on 'behavior than academics' are offering these students a new place to learn.

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